5 comments about Hell's Angel: The Life and Times of Sonny Barger and the Hell's Angels Motorcycle Club.

1. An American institution unto itself, the Hell's Angels have inspired every possible reaction from outsiders, from awe, admiration and, of course, fear. No one would argue that the club is made up of choir boys. But no doubt the reality has been so intermixed with the fantastical that separating truth from myth is now almost impossible.
   
   Sonny Barger, though, knows the truth. Although the Hell's Angels are a non-hierarchical organization without a single `leader,' Barger has been one of its more famous public faces for decades, and was instrumental in growing the club, having been there for many of its more (in)famous escapades. Barger recounts many of those adventures here, making HELL'S ANGEL an extremely entertaining read about a subculture very few of us will ever visit off the written page.
   
   It is clear from the writing that Barger is that type who simply does not care what others think of him, and that attitude makes this book even more compelling. Some of the stories are written with the style letting us know exactly what we are dealing with. Writing of their confrontion at Berkeley of war protesters during Vietnam, disgusted at the hippies' anti-Americanism, Barger let's us know that the Angels "let our boots do the talking for us." He holds no illusions about the type of woman who hangs out with the club and describes her in such a way that would lead to a quick visit from the speech police at any modern American university. It really is hilarious.
   
   More than just anecdotes, however, HELL'S ANGEL describes the concept of brotherhood among its members that makes it so especially tight. I once volunteered at a health clinic in Cleveland and once a Hell's Angel came in for court mandated counseling. Just released after 18 years in jail, what struck me is that, despite having been imprisoned after only a few months with the club, and despite his lengthy imprisonment, his `brothers' never forgot about him and never abandoned him. Barger describes this tight-knit community allowing one to realize that, for many of its members, it really is family. The first organization to stand firm against a RICO charge, it stood down the feds because not a single member would turn on the others.
   
   Although outsiders in our society may reject them, the Hell's Angels don't reject our society. Any free society must make room for those who voluntarily live on its fringes and one gets the sense that Berger recognizes this. Of course, they may demonstrate their patriotism in their own unique way. It would have been great if the President had taken them up on their offer to send a special band of Angel's into the Vietnamese jungle to take care of the Vietcong. Jeez, we probably would have won!
   
   I met Barger once, at a book signing outside of Cleveland. Despite all the Harleys they ride, he appeared at an Indian motorcycle dealer as protest for Harley-Davidson never acknowledging all the free publicity it received over the years. Barger was a friendly man, though it seemed not the type to put up with garbage. HELL'S ANGEL seems exactly like the type of book written by such a guy. For those who like to read about those subcultures of Americana that really add to the tapestry of this society, put this book on your list.



2. I would recommend it if you are interested in the biker culture or just motorcycles in general. A good read.



3. Having grown up in the San Francisco Bay Area during the '60s and early '70s I became aware of the Hells Angels when members of the San Jose chapter trounced a friend of mine for coming back into an Angel hangout (bar) after they'd suggested (strongly) that he leave.
   
   A Hispanic car club, the "Royal Coachmen" (also out of San Jose) was shut down by the Angels when its numbers became a concern for the HAMC. Even then the Angels wielded a great deal of "underground" power and influence, as so well described in Barger's book.
   
   "Hell's Angel" is very subtle as to the shift of the club's direction which is described by Barger upon careful reading. Back in the day the Angels were unsophisticated in their tactics and techniques, and loosely organized. They were also very rough around the edges. Today the club is an incorporated organization with global wide chapters and affiliates, a strong legal network for its members and properties/enterprises, and very much the focus of international law enforcement on a daily basis.
   
   However, I knew the Angels had changed dramatically since the 60s when in Los Angeles on business in the early 90s I ran into two full patch members of the club at a nightspot on Hollywood Blvd. They were clean cut, well groomed, and their "colors" looked as if they'd come out of the dry cleaners that day. As I was leaving and was a bit ahead of them I held the door to the club open and both offered "Thank you" as they passed by.
   
   Yep, the early days as described in detail by Ralph "Sonny" Barger are now long ago lore where the Red & White is concerned.
   
   Barger makes no excuses about the criminal activities he's been involved with and convicted of. His is a well written, graphic memory of the Hells Angels with a look into the future of this organization coming from the man who created it. A "must read" for any law enforcement officer who deals with the 1% outlaw biker subculture - and who wants to be successful as an OMG investigator in terms of background and research.
   
   Finally, with Ruben "Doc" Cavazos' new book on himself as a Mongol and international president of the Mongols - one of seveal arch rivals of the Hells Angels - it is interesting to compare Barger to Cavazos in terms of their backgrounds, upbringing, and commitment to their chosen ways of life at the head of two of the Big Six outlaw motorcycle clubs globally.
   
   Say what you will, Cavazos is no Sonny Barger when it comes to old school outlaw values and traditions, and he is certainly not even in the same class when it comes to organizational abilities and vision.
   
   Hunter Thompson pegged Sonny Barger best in his own legendary best seller on the Angels - a companion book to Barger's tome that is likewise must reading for the best possible view of the brotherhood that is the Hells Angels.



4. Since he was old enough to wander out onto the streets of Oakland, California, Ralph "Sonny" Barger has done things his own way, viewing the world from his unique, American blue collar perspective. In his work Hells Angel, Sonny shares his life and opens the door to the world of the Outlaw Biker. It's as though the whole biker thing evolved as Sonny evolved, and these days Mr. Barger is held in the highest esteem as the premier elder statesman of the biker world.
   
   And why shouldn't he be? He's certainly earned it. After a life of living on the razor's edge, including drugs, beautiful women, police harassment, hard prison time, fast motorcycles, and keeping a club comprised of some of the most notorious and colorful individuals on the same page, anyone who considers himself a biker knows who Sonny is. If he doesn't, then he's not really a biker, he's one of the legion of wannabes that puts on a make believe patch, somehow trying to emulate what Sonny Barger and a few other hard cases started back in the day.
   
   I read this book coming away with the feeling of what it might be like to view the world from the Outlaw Biker perspective. I learned that many these free spirited men served their country with distinction, have conservative values of family and friends, and actually live the kind of freedom that so many in the non-1%er world fear, yet envy from the safety of their easy chairs.
   
   This book provided what I was looking for and more, and after reading it for the third time I still come away with the same feeling. Hats off to Sonny Barger for giving us a non-apologetic and in-your-face rendition of his turbulent life and times, and a glimpse of the Outlaw Biker world. This book is highly recommended.



5. The microcosm birth of the Hell's Angels motorcycle club evolved in the Fontana/ San Bernardino, California area on April 1957. Ralph Robert Barger,(Sonny) who was only 19 years old, was the founder and leader of the Hell's Angels San Bernardino motorcycle club.
   
   Sonny Barger's book, "Hell's Angel" is the only authorized, genuine story about the, sometimes, but not always, controversial motorcycle club founded by the author himself.
   
   In reading, "Hell's Angel," the reader might disagree, agree and perhaps even sympathize with the story and history of the Hell's Angels' motorcycle club. More often than not different law enforcement agencies classified the Hell's Angels as a `criminal organization' for usurping the American legal system.
   
   It is up to the reader to make his or her own assessment whether those law enforcement agencies were correct in their judgment of the Hell's Angels; or if they were prejudiced in their appraisal of the motorcycle club (MC).
   
   Many believe the original Angels were members of the U.S. Army's 11th Airborne Division; an elite group of paratroopers trained to rain death on the enemy from above, drifting in behind the lines of battle.
   "They called themselves the Hells Angels because they flew on silk wings into hell itself, bringing a brutal hope for peace with 20 pounds of TNT strapped to each leg. The nickname was a badge of honor, a mark of invincibility, a wartime emblem pointing out the toughest of the tough. It was a totem to ward off the worst."
   
   "A handful of those original Hells Angels, and many other returning soldiers who had awakened to the nightmare of war, found it difficult to settle into the half-sleep of the American Dream. After living on the edge so long, they found only a depressing fatalism and monotony in jobs, family, mortgages, and college, suburbia and cookie-cutter houses with white-picket fences." And so they joined the MC.
   
   According to Sonny Barger, "The Hell's Angels is an organization; a group of people, who get together to ride motorcycles and have fun, and go to parties." "... Just because certain people in the Hell's Angels have committed crimes in the past does not make the organization a criminal organization."
   
   Under Barger's guidance, the Hells Angels chapters came together, hammering out bylaws, codes of conduct, outlawing the practice of using drugs, choosing patches, colors, tattoos and clubhouses. The Hell's Angel's made sure that no one used their "Patch" who had not been accepted in the MC, or who were not worthy of their motorcycle club. The MC is a close-knit motorcycle club who not only fights to preserve the dignity of their "Patch," but take care, protect, and stand by one another to the fullest.
   
   There were other motorcycle clubs, throughout the United States, who not only rivaled the Hell's Angels but tried to outdo them as well. However, law enforcement organizations did not excoriated those motorcycle clubs as they hammered the anvil of law enforcement against the Hell's Angels.
   
   The Hell's Angel reputation crashed into the public consciousness in 1954 when Marlon Brando starred in "The Wild One," a Hollywood sensation inspired by the rumble at Hollister.
   
   All the while, the Hell's Angels boldness more than irritated all types of law enforcement. And in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the government tried to pin an official organized crime label on the group, trying to prosecute the Hells Angels under laws originally designed to combat the Mafia. The alleged violations of racketeering, influence and corrupt organization (RICO) laws, however, were never proved, with two hung juries that were unable to decide on 38 of 44 separate charges.
   There were many high-profile accusations, arrests and acquittals - suggesting either the Angels are slippery or that police like to arrest them despite flimsy evidence. Many believe the truth lies between both theories.
   
   George Christie, longtime president of the Ventura, Calif., chapter, who is considered Barger's second-in-command and likely successor; admits the Hell's Angels are "not monks." Nevertheless, he insists that if they were as bad as police allege, they would've been jailed and disbanded years ago." George Christi adds, "...cops chase Angels because Angels are easy to chase. Finding real criminals is much tougher, and would require investigative initiative beyond pulling over every biker wearing the infamous winged death's-head."
   
   For their part, the Angels continue to deny all criminal charges, and in 1998 happily celebrated their 50th anniversary.
   The Angels have grown, in the past 50 years, to include many chapters in the United States, a presence in many countries and a worldwide membership estimated in the thousands.
   
   I recommend, to the interested reader, Sonny Barger's book, "Hell's Angel" before reading any other books, or magazine articles on the subject of the famous motorcycle club; The Hell's Angels.

5 comments about For the Thrill of It: Leopold, Loeb, and the Murder That Shocked Chicago.

1. The author was my history professor. Simon Baatz is a much better lecturer than a writer. His lectures were so interesting on topics of crime. This book is okay borderline boring. I read better books (even on this case). I think he should have gave the book some feeling vs. being so dry and detail oriented only.
   
   
   I only read this book because he was my professor. If he wasn't I doubt I would have read it.



2. If all you know about Leopold and Loeb is what you learned from the movie Swoon, prepare to be underwhelmed. The real life boys weren't nearly so avant-garde or attractive or even interesting. They're aren't even as interesting as their renamed versions in the movie Compulsion. The sad fact is that the most interesting thing about these two was the senseless murder they committed. Doctors, lawyers, reporters and writers have been trying ever since to make some sense of the murder - all with limited results.
   
   Simon Baatz takes a very different approach. He doesn't try to explain WHY anything happened but he does go into great detail about WHAT happened. He tells the story in an "as it happened" way, complete with the thoughts of the participants, almost reminiscent of Capote's In Cold Blood. Which is not to say that Baatz achieves the heights or the insights Capote did. And how could he? Capote spoke to the murderers, Leopold and Loeb are long dead.
   
   This is a risky narrative choice and combined with Baatz's tendency to cut away from the main story to detail (and I do mean detail) another case with direct bearing on or implications for L&L's case it's not always a success. Either we're "in the moment" or we're not, it's hard to have it both ways. It's even harder when those segues are tangents about the prosecutor's career or Clarence Darrow's defense of the LA Times bombers. (After half a dozen of these "shocking" Chicago murders you have to wonder what exactly was in the water in Chicago back then.) Baatz does draw on a mountain of available documentation to recreate L&L's interrogation and trials, even their crime itself and often does create a sense of immediacy.
   
   I'm still hard pressed to give this book anything better than 3 stars. Baatz's prose is decent, his research seems impeccable but ... it just doesn't add up to much. I feel well-informed now on what happened in the case (and I knew just the bare outlines before) but the nagging sense of why or what it means is more acute. Aside from the fact that Nathan "Babe" Leopold and Richard Loeb were complete jerks and that Richard Loeb wasn't the "genius" he was purported to be, I'm not sure that being better informed has helped me to draw any conclusions about the case on my own. It remains not so much enigmatic as pointless.
   
   If you're very interested in the Leopold and Loeb case but don't know the details or if you have an interest in the evolution of insanity defenses, this book might be of interest to you. (Not having read any other books on the case I can't offer a comparison.) If you're a fan of popular history or true crime this might be of interest if you're already interested in the era, otherwise this is probably too specialized for general interest. Either way, take advantage of Amazon's preview option before purchasing - the narrative method didn't bother me but it might be annoying for some readers.
   
   Kindle note: there's evidence here of yet another crime, that of a publisher failing to edit the ebook version. Nearly all the hyphens from the printed text are absent from the Kindle version along with many commas and semicolons. You get used to it after awhile but it certainly doesn't help to get bogged down by an apparent run-on-sentence when the narrative is supposed to convey a sense of immediacy.



3. Absolutely abysmal work. The author describes the circumstances of this crime without any creativity or sense, nor is the reader given any insight to anything resembling "thrill", as suggested in the title. Rather a simple text-book style play by play is given of the murder, as well as a slight glimpse into the nature of the sexual relationship between the murderers. The reader is never given a real sense of the scope of this crime, as well as an idea of how it was perceived within the historical context of early 20th century Chicago.



4. Baatz definitely is somebody who is not capable of treating this subject matter with any degree of intrigue. The writing style is tired, complete with run-ons and fragmented sentences. Given the interesting history of the crime and everything sorrounding it, it is amazing what a snooze fest the author has written. If he had given it a few more drafts, perhaps something better may have materialized. However as it now stands, this is an amateur effort at best.



5. Despite the fact that Bobby Franks's grizzly murder took place in 1924, the subsequent trial of Leopold and Loeb has never let go of our collective imaginations. When one reads For the Thrill of It, one can easily understand why. The murder of Bobby Franks by wealthy teenagers Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb touces on many issues that are still fervently talked about today: the limits of 'insanity' as a mitigating factor in sentencing, the morality of the death penalty, whether individuals are capable of free choice or victims of biological and environmental factors.
   
   For those unfamiliar, Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb were wealthy and well-educated teenagers, both with very bizarre childhoods, who developed a bizarre and dependent friendhip (and love affair). These two anti-social teenagers decided that it might be fun to kidnap, torture, and kill - they debated on whether rape should be added - a schoolboy selected at random. Their desire was to create the perfect crime. (See for yourself whether Nathan Leopol is not one of the most chilling and perplexing characters you have ever read about!)
   
   At this, hey failed. The bloodied body was found within 48 hours, and the boys' additional plan to extort ransom from the boy's father failed as well. What ensued was a wildly controversial trial that captured national attention, as legendary defense attorney Clarance Darrow attempted to avoid the death penalty for the two obviously guilty boys. The argument: the two boys were victims not only of their bizarre childhoods, but biological peculiarities (this was the age of endocrinology).
   
   This book is a fascinating recount of the murder, the trial, and the aftermath. Baatz writing is captivating and the book reads like fiction. Baatz is as entertaining as he is thorough. We are not only treated to a thoughtful recount of the lives of Leopold, Loeb, and many other involved characters, but also of the state of the 1920s criminal justice system and the burgeoning field of psychiatry. Through all of this, we find out just how revolutionary the goings on of the trial of Leopold and Loeb were; it would not be an overstatement to say that many American ideas - views on the death penalty, human choice, and the nature of insanity - were challenged if not turned on their heads.
   
   It is also a testament to Simon Baatz's acumen that this almost-600-page book never once seemed too long. All of the information given was necessary to the book's relentless forward motion. In the end, For the Thrill of It reads like a first rate murder mystery that allows its readers to learn quite a bit along the way.
   
   This has been one of my favorite reads of the year.

5 comments about Riding on the Edge: A Motorcycle Outlaw's Tale.

1. well written book couldnt put down ive read over 40 outlaw books this ranks in the top 5



2. I'm not sure I can say that John Hall is a better writer than Hunter S. Thompson, as another reviewer has done, but he's in the general ballpark, which is saying a lot since I think Thompson was one of the finest American writers of the 20th century. This is one hell of a book.



3. In 2006 John Hall's literary agent James Fitzgerald of New York contacted us about the book. At that time Fitzgerald was informed that John Hall in fact did not have authorization to write, print or publish any thing about the Pagan's MC. John Hall has never contacted the club at all to seek authorization. The book is interesting to read for the most part, however it is by no means a acurate and true account of the 1 1/2 years that John Hall was a member of the club. Not only is it an exageration of his own status and position within the club, but also certain alleged events written of in the book are totally fictional and never happened. For the most part he dropped names of men that are dead now, however others are still alive and atest to the false nature of this personal account of John Hall. John Hall was nothing more than a spoke in a wheel. John Hall is not a original member of the club and does not have the respect or honor that position would grant.
   Pagan Ronnie 1%
   Pagan's MC



4. This is a very GOOD book, well written and well documented.The style is even better than an other all-time icon, Hells Angels by H.Thompson.It is worth every euro I paid for it.As an european biker I get a better look at the history of 1%-America in years. Most of the publications were always about the HAMC and now more books are published about the other clubs:giving a more balanced look at these matters.Truly an outstanding piece of work.



5. "Riding on the Edge" is, IMHO, the finest work of 1%er biker literature on the stands today. Written by an Old School biker and original member of the Pagans MC, this is a thoughtful, respectful and captivating story of what it was like to be a 1960s motorcycle outlaw.
   
   Written by John Hall, today a professional journalist and academic, Hall's book eclipses Sonny Barger's very successful effort (Hell's Angel) and, when compared, makes a mockery of Ruben "Doc" Cavazo's recent book about himself (oh, and the Mongols MC, too).
   
   "Riding" is a wonderful read with the best outlaw biker book cover on the stands to date. Well worth the purchase.

5 comments about Wiseguy.

1. Like the movie, the book sets the standard of the genre! Do yourself a favor and pick it up!!



2. This book was a gift it was delivered in perfect condition. The person it was for loved the book.The delivery was without 14 days so this was on time for there birthday. The book was not put down since they had it and really enjoyed it.



3. Among true mobster stories, this book rates well for its nonstop depiction of events and exceptional character development. Henry Hill's narration provides considerable depth into the personalities of his cohorts allowing the reader to grasp the motives and mindsets of true gangsters as they pull of heist after heist. To give further credence to this book, my wife, who despises the very existence of the mob, also found this book enthralling, even in disgust.
   
   Wise Guy details the life of Henry Hill from a young impressionable boy stumbling into crime to his life as a full fledge mobster. Henry's relationship with some made men in the Italian Mafia add intrigue; however it is his close friendship with fellow gangsters Tommy and Jimmy that prove to be the most fascinating as their personalities create a whirlwind of interest.
   
   Henry eventually brings his own life to a halt due to his drug use and trafficking, and ends up entering the witness protection program by ratting out his friends and associates. This story has so many interesting twists and turns one wonders if Henry was not also guilty of embellishing his own life story to add further romance to the idea of the life of a wise guy. Whether one fully accepts every aspect of the book or views it as merely guided view on an otherwise despicable life, one has the luxury of finding out within a fully engrossing book.



4. good fellas was based on this book and this book was really based on a rat there is no good guys only foolish not so good not so attached to humanity type guys. the outline of the book and the movie stayed the same just like with casino



5. If you've seen the movie, then you've read the book. And that's a testiment to the movie producers because this book is awesome.

5 comments about Catch Me If You Can: The True Story of a Real Fake.

1. It's very funny story and interesting. I like it!. You will have more fun if you buy audio book for your iPod in the same title.



2. Frank Abagnale did what we all fantasize doing: getting away with messing up with the system as long as we can get away with it. He took advantage of loopholes and people's greed. If he wore a different label, let's say, "secret agent" or "bank executive", we would never condemn him but rather envy him; instead, we call him criminal. I'm glad he thought quickly on his feet and wound up becoming a "security consultant". Still taking advantage of the system and greedy people!



3. We enjoyed this movie. Do not buy just because you are a Tom Hanks fan, you will be disappointed, but movie is fun.



4. Billed as true crime or as an autobiography, but when the author admits he's the perfect liar, I found I had to read this as a novel, because I doubted a lot of what he writes. If he's so good at the con, how is this book any different. As a novel, it's entertaining at first, repetitive after awhile, and offers no clear climax. A very hard book to judge, although I gave it three stars because it is engaging somehow. The lying, conns, and sexism are hard to accept, and the author doesn't seem to feel bad for all the people he conned. Difficult to like, impossible to hate?



5. 'Catch me if you can' is a fairly entertaining, badly written fiction book that served as a base for a very entertaining, well directed fiction movie. It's not an amazing true story as the blurbs proclaim.
   
   Don't reach for this book if you want to read a true-to-fact autobiography. 'Catch me if you can' is a ghostwritten, highly embellished in style and content, largely implausible narrative that diverts from what probably really happened as much as the Spielberg movie diverts from the book. In words of Abagnale himself:
   
   'I was interviewed by the co-writer only about four times. I believe he did a great job of telling the story, but he also over dramatized and exaggerated some of the story. That was his style and what the editor wanted. He always reminded me that he was just telling a story and not writing my biography. This is one of the reasons that from the very beginning, I insisted the publisher put a disclaimer in the book and tapes.'
   
   I have yet to find this disclaimer in my copy. I like fiction and don't mind reading it as long as the author (or the publisher) doesn't try to sell it as a true story. Reading 'Catch me if you can' I had an increasing feeling that I was being conned. I swallowed all the tall tales of his forgeries, swindles and impersonations hook line and sinker, but the devil, as usual, is in details.
   
   Funnily my suspicions were aroused only when I found out he was fluent in French despite the fact that a few pages earlier he used an interpreter to communicate in that language.
   
   The description of his incarceration in a French hellhole of a prison is unbelievable to the point of ridiculous, but still the time is extended from 6 months he purportedly served to about one year.
   Then he's rescued by a Swedish policewoman Jan Lundström. Fine. I understand that all names in the book have been changed but Jan is a male name in Sweden. At this point I couldn't suspend my disbelief any longer and I put the book down unfinished.
   
   A few words about the style of writing. It's about as overdone as the facts it's supposed to desribe and nearly unreadable.

5 comments about Always Running: La Vida Loca: Gang Days in L.A..

1. I bought this book several years ago after reading in the newspaper that it had been banned from local school's reading lists. I love how fast-paced it is, giving just enough background info about his childhood without dragging on. I recently read "My Bloody Life", and I liked Always Running far better. Always Running feels more believable and less repetitive. Each situation seems to have more depth and meaning, rather than just increasing the violence and body count. The main subject is more likable, and accepts responsibility for actions instead of implying that almost all gangbanger's problems are a result of their family. This is an insightful look into the area, time period, and lifestyle that easily feels relevant to modern issues. It is fascinating to go through the transition with the Author from being a confused immigrant from Mexico to a hard core gang banger, and then to a Father trying to teach his son from his own mistakes. I feel this is an excellent book for teenagers who are attracted by this kind of lifestyle, especially those in areas that are susceptible to it, to live vicariously through the Author, and hopefully realize that the suffering outways the excitement.



2. As a teacher I used this book in a Continuation High School to get students to read and write and draw out their experiences. In a classroom where students wanted only to "kick it" until the bell rang vignettes from this book made for a powerful draw for learning. Originally I bought 20 hardback copies. At the end of teaching there I had lost count of how many copies I had purchased. It was one of my most stolen books. I always wanted to meet him at Martinez' Bookstore In Santa Ana, California, but I never knew he was coming until he'd left. Many of us are grateful to him .



3. It is a very interesting book. It makes me feel I don't want to stop reading it.



4. This book is a great book, very eye opening and wonderfully written.
   
   I have to wondering though, throughout the book, what is going through the author's mind...
   
   He complains that the police treated them poorly. They were CRIMINALS. If they weren't up to no good at that SPECIFIC point in time, they were ABOUT to do something terrible or definitely had already DONE something terrible.
   
   I don't understand how the author calls the police... "rioting police... in a murderous frenzy..." HELLO, you were doing illegal drugs in a public place, your friends stole something from a liquor store, then a mob started banging on the doors of the liquor store to let them in - am I missing something? Can you really blame the police for acting as they did? You just committed several crimes! The police were doing there job and acting defensively when KNOWN gang members committed crimes...
   
   Then the author complains that he was thrown into an adult jail cell, with murderers and rapists, despite being a juvenile and too young to be in that specific jail. OK, fine, but earlier in the book, he was talking about hanging OUT with FRIENDS of his while they were RAPING UNCONSCIOUS WOMEN. He had SHOT people before, held guns to innocent peoples' heads during robberies. WHY IS BEING SURROUNDED BY MURDERERS AND RAPISTS *SUDDENLY* SO offensive to him? He wasn't old enough to be in an adult facility, but he was old enough to do drugs, drive illegally, drink illegally, commit robberies at gun point. Who is the author kidding? He acts like the police somehow treated him so badly but he DESERVED it. He was a criminal! The worst kind of criminal.



5. i was intrigued by this book when i saw it in the store so i bought it. it was very educational for me as i never knew how bad things would really get in gang life. i grew up in the burbs and this was all very shocking to me. it was truthful, sad and awakening.

5 comments about Charlatan: America's Most Dangerous Huckster, the Man Who Pursued Him, and the Age of Flimflam.

1. Once I started this book, I could hardly bear to stop - I read it in two sittings.
   
   "Charlatan" has everything. A larger than life scoundrel ("Doctor" J.R. Brinkley) with his own personal Inspector Javert (famed quackbuster Morris Fishbein). Goat testicles, monkey glands, and other equally dubious aids to virility. Dirty campaign tactics. Outrageous marketing ploys. The birth of AM radio, country music, the Carter Family, and the blues.
   
   Will Dr Fishbein, head of the American Medical Association, be able to take down J.R. Brinkley, the consummate charlatan of the age, before the count of the maimed and the dead gets completely out of hand? Follow their astonishing 20-year cat and mouse game to its nailbiting courtroom showdown. You couldn't ask for a better guide than Pope Brock, who captures the outrageousness of this horrifying story brilliantly, with just the right kind of sly wit.
   
   "Charlatan" was hilarious, outrageous, informative, and hands down the most entertaining book I've read all year.
   
   (With special cameo appearances by W.B. Yeats and H.L. Mencken).



2. Lively and colorful writing, and what a story. Here's a guy who waved the populist banner, made out that the government and the AMA were conspiring to destroy him, and got away with quackery and--in some cases--murder and mayhem for years. And it didn't happen all that long ago. The lucky ones among his "patients" merely got their pockets picked. Fascinating, and not just as a period piece; we all know there are still Dr. Brinkleys out there today.



3. Great fun. Highly informative. Terrific read. Although the story is set in the early part of the 20th century, it's relevant today - shockingly and amusingly so. People haven't changed. The scams haven't changed much either. Where there is a buck to made off the plight of some poor soul, there is always a line to fleece them. Dr. Brinkley was at the front of the line for almost 20 years, not only fleecing, but often butchering or killing his patients in the process. Dr. Fishbein, a man on a mission, to stop Brinkley from practicing, pursued him for decades. He finally had his day in court. Along the way, Brinkley's innovations in radio, marketing and political campaigning, are going strong today. A truly wonderful book.



4. Very timely and funny. I read it in one sitting. Could not put it down.



5. John R. Brinkley is the man of the title, who was one of a handful of pseudo-scientists and medical hucksters who laid the groundwork for Viagra and its competitors by experimenting with methods to improve male potency. Operating in the 1920s through the 1940s in small towns like Greenville, South Carolina, Mitford, Kansas and Del Rio, Texas, Brinkley was basically a small-time hustler who stumbled on sexual dysfunction as fertile ground for his talents.
   
   So he began operating on the fringes of medicine, with a small smattering of training and dubious degrees from what we would now call "alternative" sources (alternative to the now much stronger American Medical Association, which derived much of its current cache and strength from battles with Brinkley and his compatriots on the fringe). Among other methods, he implanted goat testicles! Fringe medicine, indeed; without specific numbers (the true totals are probably unknown), Brock cites Brinkley as one of if not the most prolific of American serial killers based on the death rate from untested and insane techniques like these.
   
   Pressed by the AMA, Brinkley expanded into mass marketing, politics, franchising of pharmaceuticals (at least one of which was found to be pure water with a tiny amount of coloring) and the fledgling field of radio. Brinkley's downfall, as Brock describes in a rather abrupt coda, came at the hands of a civil court when he sued Morris Fishbein, the AMA's head huckster hunter, for libel, and lost, finally (for the unsuspecting public) and disastrously (for him) exposing himself as the fraud the AMA claimed.
   
   While the book was an enjoyable and easy-to-read introduction to this bizarre character (proof, yet again, of the truth-stranger-than-fiction axiom), I am only giving the book three stars for these two reasons: First, while a few primary sources are cited in the bibliography, the notes rely most heavily on a small handful of secondary sources, which makes me wonder if these earlier secondary sources may tell a more complete picture of the era. Two of the secondary sources cited:
   
   The roguish world of Doctor Brinkley
   The Bizarre Careers of John R. Brinkley.(Book Review): An article from: Journal of Southern History
   
   And secondly, while the truth indeed is strange here, Brock sometimes seems afraid to let the story tell itself, and tries too hard to pump it up with purple prose and overdone dramatics.
   
   Enjoy Brock's book, but if you are really interested in mining the details of Brinkley and his era, use the bibliography and notes as a reading list for digging deeper.

5 comments about Von Braun: Dreamer of Space, Engineer of War (Vintage).

1. This book is not only an outstanding objective analysis of the life of Wernher von Braun, but also an excellent history of German and U.S. rocket development. As an author of two non-fiction books myself, I can attest to the enormous amount of work that goes into research for a book of this type. Dr. Neufeld provides a great deal of new and fascinating information on von Braun's early career as the architect of the Nazi rocket program that led to the bombing of England with the "buzz-bomb" and V-2 rockets that were developed under his guidance. Neufeld's study of the U.S. rocket program under von Braun's leadership is no less compelling. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the history of rocketry and the space program.



2. "Von Braun: Dreamer of Space, Engineer of War" was a very interesting and informative book. I have only now discovered how controversial von Braun's life was from these Amazon reviews as well as from this book. While this may be sad commentary on my narrow view as an engineer, I always admired von Braun despite knowing that he worked for the wrong side during the war. Before I really get into the fray let me just say that this book appeared scholarly, well written and should be read by admirers and critics of von Braun.
   
   I felt this book contained almost too much detail, and often found myself "speed reading" over certain details of his family life but never those concerning his controversial life. I believe this fine book was the result of a fairly unbiased point of view and find myself agreeing with the book's closing remarks.
   
   I was also very saddened to read that great efforts were made by his influential friends to convince federal authorities to award his life's work with some grand gesture. It was further saddening to learn that several figures in government circles having the power to influence this decision refused to do so because of his early work in Germany. It is only clear to me now that von Braun was never completely forgiven for developing the V-2, and only permitted to use his talent for our side during the cold war. Perhaps he should have been greatful for that alone, but I believe he wished for much more.
   
   When he was finally awarded a great civilian medal for his technical and managerial accomplishments (by President Carter), the man who received this hard won gesture was a fragment of his former self. He was described by friends as a "skelton wrapped in skin" while enduring relentless pain under the equivalent of hospice care. Of course, camp workers were denied anything like hospital care, but I really feel he paid the ultimate price we all must, and with what I believe was a heavy heart. He must have understood full well that he was never forgiven for his early work and probably never would be. He ultimately suffered a painful and protracted death of cancer.
   
   As an individual inspired by von Braun's accomplishments I think he made as great an impact on the history of space and rocket research as one person could possibly accomplish. He had a grand vision of man's future in space, and shared that vision with all of us brilliantly. We were made a part of his dream and I believe the country remembers how special those days were as we closed in on the moon. The price he was willing to pay to accomplish his personal goals for that future supported war efforts in two countries and pushed the barriers of technology. That, in part, is the reason the author calls him the Faust of 20th century. He is acknowledged by everyone to have been a compelling public speaker, a talented engineer and an excellent manager, but I think he was also a very great American.



3. Neufeld inadvertently provides evidence that the Apollo moon landings were a hoax. Chapter 15 describes an absurdly misorganized, disorganized and impossible schedule that reduces the actual time to build and test hardware to a mere five years. Piled atop the emerging anomalies of impossible moon footprints absent moisture binder, suicidal moon rover wheelbase for 1/6th gravity, persistent lack of information regarding the workings of nickel porous plate water sublimators, ridiculously small fuel tank for the 10,000 lb. LM ascent vehicle required to climb 60 miles to 4000mph, silence and absence of ESA SMART-1 lunar survey photos that don't reveal Apollo landing sites, etc., Neufeld's book would be better if it honestly explored Von Braun's masterful ability to lie both to Hitler and the American people while ironically serving them thus to fulfill their eager delusions.



4. ...''Nazi, schmazi''. Said Wherner von Braun. ''WHERE THE R0CKETS G0 UP, WH0 KN0WS WHERE THEY C0ME D0WN, THAT'S N0T MY DEPARTMENT!!!''



5. Sadly this is the same old BS against the German people, written I would guess, by a Jew or a self-hating German. Don't take my word for it, look for yourself. Here we have a book that purports to be a definitive work but is just full of unsubstantiated speculation from the author. Just look at page 145 for example: "Recent research has demonstrated that the mass shootings of Jews in the East were widely known among the German populace." Now, I'm no Holocaust denier, but to say this kind of thing is just irresponsible. What "research" is he talking about? He doesn't say. Does the author really believe that the average citizen had access to this kind of information? He admits that listening to foreign radio was "dangerous" but what he should have said that if you were caught you could be killed. And who have believed BBC radio anyway? Did any of our guys believe Tokyo Rose? How many average citizens went to check up on their local Japanese concentration camp during WW2? No one who wanted stay out of a camp themselves, that's who! Do I know what is going on right now in Cuba? Or in CIA camps in Poland? No I don't, and neither do you. The same was true with the German people, and I'm tired shabby "research" from people like this guy. I want my money back!

5 comments about The Pimp.

1. Robert Maupin Beck, AKA, Iceberg Slim, one of the immortals produced from the black man's expierience in america, reminds me of many (not all) black men in america. He made a choice from the few choices he had and pursued it. Mack man.The difference between his book "Pimp" and all others, is that he purged and bared his soul. He saw his faults late in life, but yet and still, faced them. and denounced them. If any of us were in the same situation, could or would we do so? If other choices and conditions in his life were different,I feel he would be a success in whatever he chose. A BRILLIANT,BRILLIANT writer, I truly respect the man. In the times and conditions he grew up in, would any of us did different? How many of us would be willing to write a book as graphic and title it, "..........." the story of my life?
   
   Thanks Mr.Beck



2. This is a good book. Its written from the (hipsters) point of view. You take what you can from it.



3. a fascinating read, the ultimate anti hero. a copmelling insigth into a real life character that is both praised and vilified. the best feature is the sincerity of the storytelling and the portrayal of the life of the pimp as neither a positive nor necesarily a negative.



4. "Pimp" is a dark, ugly book. It's author Robert Beck, aka Iceberg Slim spent much of his life as a pimp. It's written to leave a bad taste in your mouth. That is the intent of the author. This is a chronicle of how he wasted twenty-five years of his life.
   
   Maya Angelou's brother told her a pimp is one of two kinds of men. Either he hates women or he fears women. The process of encouraging, enforcing a woman to sell her body is neither sexy or romantic. The life of a hooker, especially one working the streets is harsh and degrading. A `good' pimp only cares about using his women until they have no more left to give. Only someone who hates or feels the need to control women would make a `good' pimp.
   
   Iceberg Slim hated women.
   
   His father deserted them while he was a baby. Bobby and his mother lead a hand-to-mouth existence for his early years. Early on he is sexually abused by his babysitter. Stability came into his life when his mother marries an older man who was a successful businessman. Young Bobby loved his stepfather. They lead a comfortable upper middle-class existence until his mother runs off with another man.
   
   The image of his stepfather crying in the street begging his mother to stay is repeated throughout the book. He took his hatred of his mother out on women - as a pimp.
   
   Of course things go down hill for his mother. Eventually she gets her act together. But even though stability is restored in his life, Robert wants to be a pimp. Possessing a superior I.Q. (175), he was a straight-A student. In a time of blatant racial discrimination (the 1920s, 30s, 40s) he is given a college scholarship. But his path is set, the seeds of hatred planted years before take root and flourish.
   
   For more details about his descent into depravity and his redemption - read the book.
   
   His writing style is not polished. His language is not refined. But his imagery is stunning. He induces mood and feeling brilliantly. Mood and feeling are enhanced by his lack of polish.
   
   The reader may have trouble with his slang. It's been out of style for 80 years. For example, "vines" means clothes. A woman "georgias" a man when she uses him for sexual gratification without paying. A "square" is a cigarette, etc.
   
   I have noticed a disturbing trend. The black pimp is a role-model for some segments of society. Performers such as Ice-T extol the pimp lifestyle. Iceberg Slim is 'the man'. Whenever this book is discussed as a movie project, the gangsta rappers start lobbying for the part. These guys want to be like him. But not the man he became but the man he was - a depraved parasite. Some of them talk about this book as though it's the Bible.
   
   While this is an excellent book, it is ugly. Richard Beck wanted it that way. He wanted to send a message against pimping and it's lifestyle.
   
   Sometimes I wonder if these pimp wannbes can read.



5. I just finished reading this book for the second time, cover to cover in 2 days this time, it is possibly one of the best books I have ever read and keeps you enthralled throughout the whole read.Everyone should read this book because it really gives an insight into a world that most will never see.I have read all of the man's books and this is by far his best work although Mama Black Widow and Trick Baby are up there as well they just don't equal this masterpiece.They only have a 5 star rating but if I could this book would rate 10 stars.

5 comments about Covert: My Years Infiltrating the Mob.

1. The book offers a mix of human interest, police how-to, mafia and sports and will entertain readers of various backgrounds. The storyline is excellent and very well written. Mr. Delaney is first class citizen. I don't care at all for basketball but liked learning about officiating a game and how he got into the field after his law enforcement career. "Covert" gets an 'A' from me.



2. Entertaining read. His story is quite remarkable. You don't come across someone who has his life experiences very often. I would recommend this book very highly.



3. From the first pages, I just could not put this book down. The suspense in dealing with people who could turn on you any moment was thrilling. It is obvious that Bob Delaney is one of our true heroes in the fight against crime.
   I highly recommend this book to those who like true real life thrillers.
   Tim Berg.



4. This book stinks! Just another cop glorifying himself. Covert: My Years Infiltrating the Mob



5. This book is a must for anybody who enjoys Mafia stories, but inside is so much more.
   
   Bob Delaney has a story to tell that few people can truly appreciate, let alone relate to. The detail in the tale of his undercover life is amazing, and Dave Scheiber brings the Jersey waterfront to life in front of you. We all know what today's high-tech world is like, where you can bug a man's house from top to bottom without the slightest clue, but imagine what it was like back in the 70s, when state of the art devices were still pretty sizeable tape recorders. Bob Delaney was undercover, surrounded by the Mafia, wearing wires and carrying tape recording devices that weren't exactly nano-technology.
   
   Hearing his depiction of the events and his life before and after the experience is an incredible privilege, and I urge anybody to read this book.
   
   Good journalism is nothing more than the art of telling a story. Bob Delaney had a one in a million story to tell, and Dave Scheiber told it to perfection.